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All Reader Reviews of...
wd~50
50 Clinton St., New York, NY, 10002
nr. Rivington St.
212-477-2900
| 5.8 | "Mixed Reviews" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
Flavor and texture
wlam107 from 11211 | Posted on 10/23/09
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The combination of flavors and textures cannot be described. The meal was not anything like I have tasted before. The timing between plates was perfect. The service was excellent. Will go back next time for tasting menu.
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Very good
sbwpchen from 06902 | Posted on 10/5/09
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The NY Mag review title said it best - "The best weird food that actually tastes good". Went there and had the tasting menu. Everything came out differently than a standard preparation. Full of twists, surprises and of course, delicious. I've been to many good/pricey restaurants and wd-50 definitely did not disappoint. The restaurant manager was also nice enough at the end and gave us a tour of the kitchen and we talked to both him and Wiley a bit.
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21st Century and Beyond !!
prontomac from 20008 | Posted on 2/17/09
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We dined in a party of four recently at WD-50. The table and setting were just right, and we were seated exactly on time. We enjoyed the entire evening, and every course was well explained by the waiter, and served hot from the kitchen, which we could see from out table. We thought the taste and presentation of all courses was excellent. This is certainly not a traditional place, as the chef is truly out in front with his creations--and this makes the experience so rewarding. The pastry cehf--of recent Iron Chef competition, was also creative--and both were gracious in responding to a tour of the kitchen.
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Off my list forever.
ranimelborai from 10003 | Posted on 12/8/08
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Completely overrated. I was not at all impressed with the food--although the wine selection is impressive, and the meats and fish in the entrees were of a high quality, the other components did not work well together and it seemed like very little thought was put into the composition of the dishes--the coconut puree does not compliment the wagyu beef, and the dehydrated fish added onto the chestnut soup basically ruined what might have been a really good appetizer. The atmosphere is also really stilted--the wait-staff are exceedingly formal and the booths and colored lights give it a cheesy semi-modern look that may have been cool in the late-1990s or acceptable in mid-town but is completely out of place in the LES. My companions and I could not even be bothered with trying dessert. Overall, I felt like the experience did not merit the overly inflated prices, and I did not leave the place feeling like my palate was satisfied in the slightest.
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creative and very good
vegeta906 from 11222 | Posted on 12/3/08
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We did the tasting menu, and I was very happy. The rabbit sausage, foie gras with a passion fruit center, and everything bagel course were my favorites, and stood above the rest, which were still all very good. It may not be for everyone, but I think you need to try it to find out for your self. I get the feeling this is a love it hate place.
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In the End - Just Not Worth It
dweediecat from 07701 | Posted on 10/7/08
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My first clue should have been the plastic bucket at the front door with a paper sign taped to it about not being responsible for lost items. So tacky - this place has no idea what it is supposed to be about!!! The decor does nothing. The service and knowledge of the staff are poor. Out of the 8 dishes we shared, one was appetizing enough to want to try again, but we don't plan on it. Even the mixed drinks are too strange to have again. The espresso is so much better elsewhere - why would you want to spend $8 on a teaspoon of average coffee, not served to you properly with a lemon rind? We are experienced and educated diners. Wanted to try this in spite of mixed reviews. Disappointed. Better to spend your money bungee jumping if you are looking to blow your wad on something just to say "you did it." Wylie is a creative person, but he's not minding the store very well at all. I'd be surprised if this place is still around in a year. Snap out of it!!!
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Interesting and so good
thijp from 86000 | Posted on 5/4/08
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When originality combines with good food, you get the WD50. An interesting experience in my culinary life. The food was well presented on the plate. And that worked: the bits of foie -gras (interesting) fit nicely with the fennel. The nicely cooked monkfish was enjoyable with its sauce and this is nothing to say about the lovely but surprising cherries in their environment. Also, since I was not convinced by the suggested wine of glass I got, they gave me two additional glasses for free... just for the taste of it. Also, this is not so strange cuisine as you might expect from previous opinions. Do not pay any attention to the negative comments on this web-site. People were in a bad mood on the day, or have no experience or just have their palate contaminated by the regular american (non)-food (a mixture of sugar and fatty stuff) or whatever. Maybe you might complain on the portion size...That's true, they are small. But you go there for tastes and textures not for filling your stomach. There are other places to achieve this goal. Recommended.
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um--seriously?
food_is_amazing from 10019 | Posted on 3/9/08
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If this were Iron Chef America, I would give wd-50 a five for originality (fried hollandaise sauce? Beer ice cream?), a five for plating (I had never seen a knot of foie gras before), and a one or a two for taste. The experience itself was *probably* worth the hundreds of dollars that we spent (as a party of two), but the food--well. A knot is no good if it does NOT taste good. Great service, though.
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Shockingly Bad
paulcot from 10013 | Posted on 2/29/08
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WD-50 is analogous to Damien Hirst in the art world. If you are not familiar with his work, he is the guy who takes a dead sheep and drops it in a vat of formaldehyde. Everyone swoons over his work because the critics call it genius and people pay millions for it...but if you have any sense you are left scratching your head and wondeirng what the hell is going on. Listen I'm no tourist from the midwest. I live downtown and like to think I am open to all kinds of cuisine. I went to WD-50 with a very open mind and was expecting to be wowed....what happened was the single worst dining experience of my life. I cannot understate this and it is what caused me to write my first online review ever. I will make my complaint very simple: The food does not taste good. It ranges from below average to inedible. I did the tasting menu and I probably only finished 25% of the miniscule portions.
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Great food that looks and tastes good
namann2011 from 11024 | Posted on 1/27/08
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It seems that there are alot of mixed reactions when it comes to this place. Some of this is understandable, but others I cannot figure out. The service was excellent - some of the best I ever had. The waitress was helpful and knew the menu well in addition to caring about our time there, making sure we were doing alright. The food is what really makes this place though. I had the Duck breast which not only was pleasing in taste, but to the eyes as well. My friend had the Ocean Trout and enjoyed that as well. The ingredients can be puzzling at times (eg: Polomo and spaghetti squash) but are chosen to complement each other to achieve maximum taste benefit. Dessert was truly the best though. If anything, the place is worth going to just for dessert. Portions were small, but not tiny. Coming there with a half full stomach made it just right. The decor is bordering average - nothing fantastic but still nice. Price is high, but the quality of the food and service made the bill not as painful as it could have been. Overall, I really liked the place and plan to go back.
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